Assisting global technology leaders with their international executive search is always a privilege because they truly understand the process, not just the tactical mechanics of it. They grasp the strategic nuances with a sophistication that sets them apart.

They define best practice when planning and executing their talent acquisition strategy. This is how…

1. Absolute clarity of vision and specificationLeading software (and other technology) companies know precisely which lynchpins they need. And more importantly they know ‘why’.

These companies are not simply boosting numbers. They are not firefighting or merely getting more hands to the pumps.

They are systematically assembling the alpha team they need to gain market supremacy or confirm their existing pre-eminence.

Exemplar hirers know precisely how they will combine in-house recruitment with single or multiple agencies.

And they do not leave job specifications to the last minute…to a stressed out sales director sweating over a Damoclean target he won’t hit this month.

2. Recruiting alphas requires the very best interviewersSmart operators know they must bring their big guns to bear if they are to recruit the very best players.

That means having a crack team of interviewers in place and ready to roll to seize the opportunities.

Your interview team must be on the same page with agreed objectives and criteria because the process usually involves between two and four interviews for each candidate.

Not because competition is tight (although often it is) or because there is indecision – but because diary-juggling is always a struggle.

Getting interviewers and the candidates in the same room at the same time starts with getting them in the same country on the same day. Seldom easy but that is the reality. And we embrace it.

Video conferencing is all very well in theory but you can never beat face-to-face.

Not for something as mission critical as this.

3. Precision focus when interviewingSmart players always see the right number of candidates for each role: ideally three to five.

They do not skimp on numbers. But they also avoid the temptation of going overkill and interviewing 20 candidates.

They are at the cutting edge and have better things to do. So they leave the detailed pre-interview sifting to us and are secure in that knowledge.

And they never – repeat, never – get overly fixated on one particular Mr/Ms Right too early.

They do not mess the other candidates around, delay them or shunt them into a holding pattern while fawning over their perceived frontrunner.